


ShinKane Week 2019-2020, or: A Life in Fragments

by pearl_scribbles



Category: Psycho-Pass
Genre: F/M, ShinKane Week 2019-2020
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-03
Updated: 2020-05-22
Packaged: 2021-02-27 08:55:37
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 11,903
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22104424
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pearl_scribbles/pseuds/pearl_scribbles
Summary: A series of fics for ShinKane Week 2019-2020.All of these are getting posted late, because I didn't even know ShinKane week was happening until it was halfway over, and I'd rather participate late than not at all.Despite the title, these are mostly unrelated to each other.
Relationships: Kougami Shinya & Tsunemori Akane, Kougami Shinya/Tsunemori Akane
Comments: 36
Kudos: 108





	1. Day 1: Immortality

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After a FAD mission goes wrong, Akane finds a different way to keep Kogami alive.

“Yo. You’re probably busy at work, but I thought I’d try my luck anyway. It’s early in the morning for us, we’re about to head out on the mission. It’ll be a little longer than usual, and we won’t have much signal, so you might not hear from me for a few days. I’ll send you updates when I can, but chances are, you’ll be getting them more from Hanashiro than straight from me.  
“It’s hot as hell out here. I thought I’d be used to this heat after all that time in SEAUn, but I guess being back in Japan got me soft again. It feels like any water we drink just leaks right back out as sweat. It’s gross, but it’s almost worth it to see Gino squirm. He’s almost as uncomfortable as he was when you first joined the PSB. Picture him with a stick up his ass, then dunk him in water, and you’ll know what I’ve been dealing with here.  
“It is pretty, though...I wish you could see the flowers and birds. It’s as noisy as the city, but the noise is from all the birds singing. It’d almost be relaxing if we weren’t here for work. You would love it, seeing all of the new wildlife. I want to try smuggling some back home, but you’d probably be more upset at me for almost getting in trouble than appreciative for the flowers. I don’t know how you’re still such a goody-two-shoes for a system you hate.  
“Ah, Gino’s finally ready. It’s time for us to go. You don’t need to worry about us, we’ll be fine…but I miss you a lot. It would’ve been nice to hear your voice one more time, but...well, it’ll just be even better when we finally do get to talk again. Take care of yourself. Tell Karanomori I say hi. I’ll see you soon. I love you, Akane.”

She had the words memorized at this point. If they had been in a letter, she was sure it would have been folded and unfolded until it was nearly falling apart, just like the first letter he’d written her all those years ago. She knew it wasn’t healthy, to still listen to his last message after a year, but...she couldn’t help it. There were still nights when the space he should’ve been filling in their bed felt like it would swallow her whole, wrap her tight in her grief and drown her in the pain of their lost time together. 

So she listened. She would pull the covers over her head, clutch her communicator close, and listen. If she closed her eyes, she could see him speaking in front of her almost as clearly as if he’d said the words to her in person. She could see his smirk as he teased her, the shadows under his eyes from the early hour and the jet lag that never fully went away, the sheen of sweat sticking his messy hair to his skin, his hunched posture as he quietly spoke into his communicator, holding it close to his lips to keep the others from eavesdropping on his tender sentiments that he only allowed her to hear. 

He’d always teased her for holding on to all of his messages, calling her a hoarder when he first saw her perpetually-full voicemail. “You’re gonna miss something important, if you don’t clean any of that up.” 

“You are important! Are you telling me you always delete my messages to you?”

“No, but I only ever keep the newest ones. You always say the same thing. ‘Oh! You must be busy, I’m sorry if I interrupted anything. Call me when you can, I love you, bye!’” He’d dissolved into laughter then, only briefly caught by her vengeful tickling fingers before he managed to pin her down and silence her giggles with kisses. 

Now their room was silent, her soft breathing barely disturbing the still air. Her eyes were still pressed shut, and her fingers still clutched at her wrist-comm, even after his message had ended. Eventually she sighed, her breath steady despite the tears pricking at her eyes. “...I love you, too.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Psycho-Pass, including any of its characters or world-building. Please do not copy and paste any of this work on other websites, nor plagiarize any part of it. Thank you.


	2. Day 2: Reunion as "Ordinary People"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With Kogami's return to Japan comes a very necessary visit to a very important Inspector.

“There is an unidentifiable man at the door! His Crime Coefficient cannot be measured! Shall I call the police?” 

Akane stood frozen at her kitchen counter, her fingers creeping to wrap around the handle of a knife in the drying rack. “Don’t call the police, Candy, just quiet down.” 

“Entering rest mode now!” 

Silence filled the apartment, broken only by Akane’s soft breaths and even softer steps to the front door. She took care not to let her shadow fall across the peephole, getting settled behind the door so that it mostly shielded her body when she pulled it open. 

The plan was to incapacitate the stranger when they stepped in - curiosity would almost always cause people to make stupid decisions, like stepping into an apartment to see who opened the door. But instead she was greeted by quiet stillness, the stranger staying firmly planted outside the door. She was just starting to debate giving up her cover and going on the offensive, when the stranger finally spoke up with a quiet, “...Tsunemori?” 

_That’s not a stranger._ Her knife fell to the floor with a clatter as she stepped out, forced into a stunned silence by that familiar, impossible voice. She couldn’t have heard that right, she couldn’t have heard that voice in person, her mind must have been creating hallucinations again after working overtime for a little too long. 

But there he was, as tall and messy-haired and tired and beautiful as the last time she’d seen him so many years ago. “K...Kogami-san?” 

“Yo. Long time, no see.” 

With each hesitant, disbelieving step she took towards him, she could see details that betrayed the time past: thin lines tracing the shadows under his eyes, small wrinkles pulling at the corners of his lips, and a general sense of weariness weighing on his shoulders. He still favored dark colors, layering a black bomber jacket over a thin, fitted black shirt and well-worn jeans. 

His smile was still the same, though...gentle and teasing and capable of making his eyes light up even with the smallest quirk of his lips. And his eyes were still that familiar shade of steel, with traces of blue that seemed to shine only when he let himself relax into his happiness...traces of blue that were shining now. 

Akane’s steps stopped once she got close enough to press her hand against his strong chest, fingers fanning against the thin fabric of shirt before curling to grasp it. He really was there, this wasn’t a dream. That was the soft _thump_ of his heart, the strength of his muscles flexing under her fingers, the heat of his skin warming her fingertips through his shirt. “How...how are you here?” 

“I owed Frederica Hanashiro a favor, and she used it to make me join the Foreign Affairs Department and come back to Japan.” 

“But...how are you _here?_ ” 

“Ah...I may have annoyed Gino into giving me your address. I...I hope that’s ok. I can leave if it’s not.” 

She opened her mouth to respond, to reassure him that it was so much more than “ok,” but all that escaped her was a shaky laugh. 

Well...if her words weren’t going to speak for her, her actions would have to do. 

He met her halfway, his lips gentle against hers, even as hers parted to stroke his tongue into her mouth. She was distantly aware of him leading them back into the apartment and the door swinging shut behind them, but those details were outshone by the taste of his lips and the feeling of his five o’clock shadow on her skin. 

They didn’t break apart for air until she was pressed against the door, his body flush against hers and their faces still close enough that they were breathing each other’s air. She could feel the outline of his arousal through his jeans, and her knowing smirk was met with a sheepish grin. “I missed you too, Kogami-san.” He only hummed in response as he nuzzled into her neck, his lips pulling a soft moan from her before she gently shrugged him away. “Don’t think you can seduce your way out of an explanation. How on earth did Hanashiro manage to keep Sibyl from executing you as soon as you stepped into the country?” 

Kogami sighed, but not without a good-natured grin. “It’s...a long story. So long that I think I’ll need some coffee to get through it.” 

Akane pushed him away with a roll of her eyes, but as she moved past him to lead the way to the kitchen, she pressed one more sweet kiss to his lips. “Make yourself at home.” 

“With pleasure.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Psycho-Pass, including any of its characters or world-building. Please do not copy and paste any of this work on other websites, nor plagiarize any part of it. Thank you.


	3. Day 3: Dreams and Nightmares/AUs

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A sudden attack forces the word "monster" to become much more literal in Akane's life. 
> 
> cw: This chapter deals with blood, and gets a little ~spicy~ in the second half.

She was so pale, and felt so light. Too pale...too light...too splattered in blood. Kogami couldn’t look at her in his arms for too long without feeling lightheaded, so he fixed his eyes ahead, squinting at the numbers on doors he marched past until he found what he was looking for. 

“Old man!” He didn’t dare take a hand away from Akane, settling on launching his foot at the door in a series of thuds. “Masaoka!! Please!!” 

The door finally flung open to reveal the old doctor, hair on end and eyes bleary. “Kogami, what the hell-?” Those sleepy eyes widened when he took in the body in the younger man’s arms. “What happened?” 

“He came out of nowhere, I couldn’t stop him, I thought he was going to kill her but I think...I think he turned her.” 

Masaoka directed Kogami to the bathroom, quickly moving ahead of him to lay out some towels in the bathtub to provide some sort of cushion to the tiny, bleeding body. Once she was laid out, he took a closer look, quickly finding the source of the bleeding: four tiny, but incredibly deep, pin pricks in her neck. Spidering away from the wounds were the outlines of her tiny blood vessels, but instead of a soft blue, they were a stark black, forming what looked like a web across her skin, which had faded from her usual creamy complexion to almost completely white. She was sweaty, and barely conscious, only capable of letting out soft moans and broken sobs. “Shit.” 

“I would’ve taken her to the hospital, but-“ 

“No, you did the right thing, son.” He carefully picked up her wrist to press his fingers against it. Her pulse was slow, but strong, feeling almost like a drumbeat against his fingertips, and her skin almost burned to the touch. “Whoever did this knew what he was doing. He wanted to make sure she would turn.” 

“What do you mean?” 

“Kogami, there’s...there’s nothing I can do to stop this. She’s going to turn, no matter what. All I can do is ease the pain.” 

Kogami was already pale from the older man’s words, but at the last word, his jaw clenched dangerously tight. “...Pain?” 

“Yes.” Masaoka finally looked away from Akane’s broken, changing body to look at Kogami. “Tonight...is going to be impossibly hard for both of you.”

~~~~~ 

Kogami knew from experience that Masaoka worked best alone, and with so much on the line, he didn’t want to risk impeding his work at all. So he stayed by the bathtub, clinging to Akane’s hand, whispering whatever soothing words he could think of every time she moaned. Every so often, Masaoka gave him a task to do while he continued gathering ingredients - propping her head on an old, stained pillow, placing plastic bags of ice against any exposed skin, refreshing the cool towelette on her forehead. Eventually he was forced to step away and let Masaoka take his place, watching over his shoulder as he crushed some leaves that were then placed under her tongue. Then he produced a syringe filled with a liquid that was dark brown and clean, which he lined up against one of the initial wounds to inject into her. Without another word, Masaoka cleaned up his supplies and left the bathroom, only to return a few moments later with an insulated lunch bag filled with three blood bags and some ice packs. He placed one of the blood bags next to Akane in the tub, and left the rest of the lunch bag on the toilet lid. 

The entire process was done with an efficiency and speed that made Kogami wonder with dread how many other people, other newly-turned vampires, the old man had treated before. He knew he had been moonlighting as a healer to vampires for decades, a craft that had been passed down through generations, a craft that Nobuchika was displaying more than a little distaste towards, despite his talents for it. Kogami had first stumbled across this underbelly of the city when he was just a boy, but it had never seemed as threatening, as ruthless, as it did now. 

With the presumed food supply in its place, Masaoka turned to Kogami with a look of resignation and exhaustion that made panic crawl through him anew. “What now?” 

“Now we wait...but not in here.” 

“What? No, I’m not leaving her-“ 

“Yes, you are.” Before Kogami could protest more, Masaoka grabbed him by the arm and hauled him bodily out of the bathroom, almost tossing him away to buy himself some time to lock the door before he could stop him. 

“What the hell are you doing?” 

“You asked me to help you, and that is what I’m trying to do!” His raised voice stopped Kogami in his tracks. When he spoke again, his voice was softer, but still stern. “When she regains consciousness, she’s going to be experiencing a thirst unlike anything she’s been through before. Her only goal will be satisfying that. If you are anywhere near her when that happens, she will suck you dry before she even has the chance to recognize you. The blood I left in there won’t completely satisfy her, but it will ease her thirst enough that we won’t be in immediate danger around her.” 

Anger and confusion was still pumping through Kogami, and the completely reasonable explanation somehow only frustrated him more. It took him an extra moment to say something without growling it out. “How long until she wakes up?” 

“It depends. Anywhere from a couple of hours to a full night and day.” 

“Then I can still be with her for a little longer.” 

“No. I locked the door to keep her in, but also to keep you out. I did what I could to help her, but she is still going to be in a lot of pain as she turns. I know I can’t make you leave and keep you from hearing her, but at least I can protect you from seeing her when it happens.” 

With almost eerie timing, a low moan echoed from behind the closed door. There was a pause before another moan came, this time cresting into a cry. Masaoka was right - every nerve in Kogami screamed at him to rip that door open and find some way to take the pain away. He could hear the softest sobs following the cry, and tears pricked his own eyes at the sound. A glance at Masaoka revealed the older man’s furrowed brow and frown, and he knew better than to interrogate him about why she was still in so much pain. 

Instead he silently moved into the kitchen, setting about cleaning the spread of medical instruments and miscellaneous medicines and herbs that Masaoka had left in his rush. He ignored the way his hands shook while he washed the used supplies, but that didn’t stop the small mortar from slipping out of his grip when a scream tore through the air. Head swimming, he clutched at the edge of the sink, knuckles white from his tight grip. Over the blood rushing in his ears, he barely managed to hear Masaoka’s low murmuring. “It’ll be over soon, son.”

Maybe it was over soon, or maybe it took the next several hours. He really couldn’t be sure. All he knew was that every scream felt like it lasted an eternity, spent pressing the heels of his hands into his eyes until they burned from the pressure. Feelings of uselessness and self-loathing overwhelmed him - he would have given anything to switch places with her, or go back in time and try any one of the several alternate scenarios he’d imagined in the aftermath of the attack. Maybe if he’d been faster, maybe if he hadn’t been so distracted by her smile, maybe if he had dodged, maybe if he’d been willing to throw her aside, risk hurting her if it meant saving her. 

He was so absorbed in his own head, he missed Masaoka moving silently to the bathroom door and pressing his ear to it. It had been quiet for the past ten minutes, and when that silence continued, he murmured, “I think it’s safe.” Kogami jumped and jerked his head up, eyes red from his held back tears and the pressure of his hands, jaw aching from his tightly it had been clenched. When he moved to join Masaoka, his steps were jerky, joints stiff from the hours he’d spent tensed on the couch. But he made it, and hovered over the doctor’s shoulder as he slowly unlocked and nudged the door open. His breath caught in his throat at what they saw. 

The small room was in carnage. Blood was splattered everywhere, the empty blood bags were in tatters, the lunch bag was torn in half, alarmingly sharp and deep scratches lined the walls, small bits of fuzz had been ripped from the bath rug, and, in the center of it all, Akane was sprawled on the cold tile floor. Her hair was a tangled mess, her shirt was in shreds and barely hanging on her body, and her drying tears mixed with the blood smeared around her mouth, bright red in contrast to the dark, dried blood that stained what remained of her shirt collar. Her hands were curled in weak fists, and her nails had somehow gotten longer and sharper, looking more like claws than human nails. 

Before Masaoka could stop him, Kogami was at her side, cupping her clammy face in his hands and calling her name. “Akane...Akane! Can you hear me? Say something if you can hear me...please, please say something…” 

A weak groan escaped her, and her eyes slowly blinked open, bleary and unfocused as she stared up at him. Fear tightened its grip on him - did she not remember him? Had her memories been wiped away by the changes to her body? Was there even a precedent for that? But then she spoke, her voice soft and broken. “Shinya...?” 

“I’m here, I’m here,” he gasped. “How are you feeling?” 

“I’m so...thirsty…” In his relief, Kogami didn’t think to connect her weak words with the way her neck arched to let her nuzzle at his throat. He felt a sharp sting before Masaoka appeared on Akane’s other side, pushing her back and shoving a fresh blood bag at her. “Careful now, missy…” 

Akane recoiled at first, her leftover humanity instinctively disgusted by the smell of the blood. But her need quickly overpowered her disgust, as her fangs pierced the thin plastic and granted her access to the life-giving drink. She drank quickly and ferociously, brows furrowed as if in concentration. When her drinking finally slowed, there was still a bit of blood left in the bag, which leaked just a bit as she pulled away and let her body sag back to the floor. She made no move to finish what was in the bag, and only stirred when Kogami murmured, “How are you feeling now?” 

“I’m so tired…” She leaned into his hand gently brushing against her face, and when her hand came up to tug at his shirt, he could see that her nails had returned to their normal, short ovals. Her eyes blinked open again, this time more focused as she scanned his face. A soft gasp escaped her when she caught sight of the small cut on his throat, and her voice was shaky when she asked, “Did I...do that?” 

His free hand automatically came up to touch the wound, brushing away the small droplets of blood that were still slowly leaking out. “It’s ok, you didn’t hurt me.” 

“Shinya, you’re bleeding.” 

“It’s nothing, honestly.” 

But her eyes still swam with tears. “I’m so sorry…”

“None of this is your fault.” 

Her furrowed brow and frown told him she didn’t believe his words, but she didn’t say anything. She just curled into him as he carefully held her to his chest, letting her silently wet his shirt with her tears. 

~~~~

He couldn’t imagine what her adjustment to life as a vampire would’ve been like without Masaoka’s help. He had connections who were willing to help, including one of their coworkers, Shion Karanomori. Akane laughed for the first time since turning when Kogami muttered, “I always thought she was weirdly pale, but Christ.” She didn’t have much cause for laughter these days - between being forced to take a paid break from work and adjusting to the very foundation of her life being shaken, she often came home from her “lessons” exhausted and frustrated. 

But they both knew it was only thanks to Karanomori and Masaoka’s help that she was able to continue living with Kogami at all. She hadn’t dared tried to drink from him since that first night, and while she was still able to sleep in the same bed as him, she handled herself so carefully around him, as though she were afraid of breaking him. He didn’t know how to process that change in their dynamic - he’d gotten so used to being the stronger one, the protector, and while he knew he was being stupidly masculine, he didn’t exactly enjoy the feeling of being weak. 

More than that, he missed...sleeping with her. Her heightened senses meant she felt everything more, and that included arousal. Kisses that had her flushed before would now leave her with pointed fangs and eyes that glowed red with desire. And despite her lessons having improved her self-control, she would still pull away with a quiet apology, even when he assured her that he didn’t mind. Because he really didn’t mind - he trusted her not to hurt him, and he would have endured any accidental injuries if it meant he could hold the woman he loved again. 

Then one evening, a little while after Akane was able to start going to work again, Kogami was held up at the station late enough that he didn’t get home until she was done with both work and her training with Karanomori. He found her curled up on the couch, snuggling under a blanket with a book open on her bent knees. As he got closer, he saw that her eyes were staring blankly at the opened pages, betraying that she was lost in her own thoughts instead of the words. The thought of sneaking up on her passed through his mind before he decided that scaring a vampire probably wasn’t the best idea. He settled on sitting across from her, picking her legs up to let them rest on his lap. She jumped just a little at his sudden presence, but matched the small, warm smile he gave her. “Penny for your thoughts?” he murmured, gently rubbing her leg through the blanket. 

“Just thinking about something I learned today.” She set her book aside in favor of moving closer to him, resting her head on his shoulder with her nose nuzzling at his neck. 

“Do I get to learn it too? Or is it confidential vampire intel?” Akane’s responding soft huff of a laugh tickled on his skin, and he could feel himself getting embarrassingly warm from her nuzzling. The air felt cool on his skin when she pulled away to meet his eyes, a thoughtful look on her face. “Shinya...would you ever let me...drink...from you?” 

“You mean, drink my blood?” 

“Yeah?”

“If that’s what you need, then of course.”

“What if it’s...what I want?”

He regarded her with a small, confused smile. “ _Is_ that what you want?” 

“Well...Shion told me something that got me curious.” She bent an arm on the back of the couch and started absentmindedly running her fingers through his hair. His eyes stayed focused on hers, even as he let himself lean into her touch. She fell quiet again, but he knew her well enough to know she didn’t need extra prompting, just some time to organize her words. 

“When...when I was turned...it hurt. It hurt like nothing I’d felt before. And I thought that’s what it was like for any human, even if their blood was only being sucked and they weren’t being turned. But Shion told me that if a human consents to the feeding, it doesn’t hurt at all. It just feels like a prolonged vaccine more than anything.” Her fingers trailed down from his hair to gently trace the veins in his neck, and he had to stop a shiver from running through him at the ticklish feeling. “And...and she also told me that if a vampire drinks from someone who they already have a deep connection to, it can be a...pleasant experience. For both of them.” 

“And when you say ‘pleasant’...” 

She flashed him a wry grin. “I mean possibly arousing.” Her fingers stilled, but stayed resting just below his pulse. “I’d like to try it, but only if you’d be comfortable with it.” 

“Let’s do it.”

Akane blinked in surprise at his immediate answer. “R...really?”

“Of course. I...I haven’t been as helpful in this process as I’d like to be. It’d be nice to help somehow. And I trust you more than anyone in the world.” 

Again she stared at him, but this time her gaze was thoughtful, searching for something in his eyes before she moved to straddle his lap. His hands automatically rested on her slim, strong waist as hers came up to cradle his face, making him hold their eye contact, even though he had no intention of breaking it. When she spoke, her voice was soft, but insistent. “Shinya, you saved my life. I don’t know what would have happened to me if you didn’t take me to Masaoka, and I don’t want to know. You made it possible for us to still have a life together. Nothing, _nothing,_ that anyone else does will ever measure up to that.”

Her kiss was gentle at first, but quickly deepened when he returned it, as if the force of her lips on his would better drive home her words. But he kept up with her, letting her know he’d heard her loud and clear. “I love you so much,” she murmured against his lips. 

“I love you too...and my answer is still yes.” 

She pulled away just enough to rest her forehead against his, eyes once again flickering over his face. “Are you sure?” 

“Of course.” He would do anything to see her smile like that, warm and unguarded in a way that had become uncommon since her turning. It was the only time he could catch a glimpse of what remained of her youthful optimism, her belief in the inherent good of the world despite everything. 

Her lips were slow and gentle when they returned to his, and her kisses were tender and lingering as she trailed them from his lips, along his jaw, and down his neck, until they ghosted along where his pulse beat the strongest. He couldn’t stop a small shiver from running through him at her ghostly touches, and her lips paused against his skin.

“Do you trust me?” The words were soft, so soft that he almost missed them completely. Almost, but not quite. 

“Always,” he breathed. He felt her lips curve into a smile, then a gentle pressure, and then a stabbing pain. 

He’d expected it to feel like a prolonged vaccine, but it was more than that, much deeper than that. Each of her sucks seemed to pull from the innermost depths of him, making him feel an odd sort of exposure along with the pain. 

But then the pain faded away, replaced with a warm pulse with each pull...a pulse that soon transformed into throbbing pleasure as Akane drank. He didn’t realize he was moaning until she pulled away, leaving his throat feeling cold and his head swimming. His eyes were bleary as they blinked open and met hers. 

Her gaze was a deep red, darker than the blood - _his_ blood - that stained her lips and trickling from the corner of her mouth. She caught the trailing droplet with a thumb and brushed it back into her mouth with a careful suck, in a quick move that was predatory and confident and sent an extra pulse of arousal through Kogami. Her fangs and nails had gotten longer, and she was every inch the threatening creature that he’d been warned about by Masaoka since he was young...except for the concern in her wide eyes and the gentle hands caressing his face. “Shinya...are you ok?” 

“Yeah...yeah, I’m fine. I’m great.” His voice was hoarse as he spoke, in a way that would have betrayed his arousal if the outline of his erection wasn’t already pressing against Akane. “How are you?” 

“Never better,” she laughed breathlessly, eyes flickering down to his lips. One finger gently traced the seam between his lips, and he could just barely feel the pointed tip of one of her nails brushing his skin. “Was that...did that feel good to you?” 

“It was strange at first...but then I never wanted it to end.” Her skin was hot under his hand as he cradled her cheek, thumb grazing her cheekbone. “Akane...I want you. I’ve wanted you so bad these last few weeks.” 

“Me too. I just...I didn’t want to hurt you.” 

“And you didn’t. I trust you. You can trust yourself now.” 

She bit her lip, careful not to sink her fangs in, eyes flickering across his face again before she murmured, “Ok, then...take me.” 

The words had scarcely left her lips before they were covered by his ravenous kiss, hands immediately sliding under her shirt and pressing against her bare skin with a need that had her arching into him. She was hot to the touch, her nails were sharp against his scalp, her fangs brushed his lips, and her eyes glowed red...all reminders of why she had been so nervous to give into him again. But the feeling of her body curving into his, the taste of her tongue gliding past his lips, and the sound of her choked back gasps and moans as his hands found her most sensitive spots with a practiced touch were all unchanged, all uniquely _her._

“Missed this...missed you,” he gasped when they pulled apart to shove their clothes off. 

“Me too,” she breathed, before sinking down his length with a cry. It took all he had to not immediately finish right there - the feeling of her walls fitting perfectly around him after so long had him almost dizzy from pleasure, and he knew he needed the moment to get used to being in her as much as she needed to get used to him filling her up. The first twist of her hips on his had him groaning into her neck, and his hands gripped her waist, helping her glide on his erection. Their moans rang clear in the room until Akane kissed him again, letting him swallow her cries as her teeth gently tugged at his bottom lip. 

“Shinya...Shinya, I...I want to…” 

“Drink.” The gasped word was all the permission she needed, and he groaned at the feeling of her teeth sinking back into him. The pain wasn’t there, since she was drinking from the same place, letting him fall into the spiral of pleasure immediately. Time blurred - he couldn’t be sure of how many minutes, hours, seconds passed, couldn’t be sure of where his hands wandered on her body, couldn’t be sure of how much blood she’d drank. All he knew was the oblivion of arousal that she had pulled him into, an oblivion that ended when she pulled away with a cry. 

“Shinya, I’m-!”

“Fuck, Akane-!” Paying no mind to the blood that still dripped from her fangs, he pulled her lips to his, highlighting their orgasms with the striking metallic taste of his blood on her burning lips and tongue. It was strange, and foreign...and utterly exhilarating. 

Bone-deep exhaustion chased away the last pulses of pleasure that ran through him, making him slump against the back of the couch with a sheepish laugh. He felt Akane curl into him, her lips gently brushing against the unwounded side of his neck as she spoke. “Thank you.” 

“I should be thanking you,” he chuckled as his fingers traced up her back to gently comb through her silky brown strands. “That was amazing.” 

He felt more than heard her gentle huff of a laugh before she pulled away to meet his eyes. “No, I mean...for everything. For trusting me, for helping me, for...for staying with me.” 

“Akane, listen to me…” His hands grasped her face, making her continue to meet his gaze with her own, which had returned to a honey-brown hue. “There is nothing in the world that could make me leave you. Staying with you is the easiest choice I could ever make. Loving you is the easiest thing I’ve ever done.” He waited for her to flash a small grin before he let his lips quirk into a smirk. “Besides...what guy doesn’t want to have a hot vampire girlfriend?” 

Her scoffed, “Oh, shut up,” was softened by her crystalline laughs, before she bent in for a sweet kiss. But he could tell his words had done their job. True, life was never going to be the same for them. They would never be back to “normal.” But they would always be strong, especially Akane. If there was anyone who could find a new normal, it was her. And he’d be damned if he wasn’t going to be right there with her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Holy shit y'all, I'm back. I'm so so sorry for the long wait! January found me moving for an internship, and then learning all the ropes for said internship, and I've just been exhausted in the few moments that I'm not working.
> 
> Also this was a surprisingly hard prompt to write for? I kept jumping between different AUs before forcing myself to settle on this one, and even now, I'm really not satisfied with what I've got. Anyone who has watched/read Kimetsu no Yaiba and/or played Bloodbound on the Choices: Stories You Play app will recognize some ideas that I uh...borrowed from them. I had fun playing around with different iterations of vampire lore! I also wanted to try playing with a straight relationship where the lady is a vampire and the man is a human. I feel like I never see that dynamic in vampire stories. 
> 
> Anywho, I hope you all enjoyed. I definitely do plan on seeing these prompts through, but I really can't say when they'll be posted. This new job is taking much more out of me than I anticipated. 
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own Psycho-Pass, including any of its characters or world-building. Please do not copy and paste any of this work on other websites, nor plagiarize any part of it. Thank you.


	4. Day 4: Temptation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tensions rise after jealousy rears its head at the annual gala.

She’d felt his eyes on her all night. Even as they both mingled and did their best to maintain and build connections within what professional network still existed, she knew half of his attention was fixed on her the entire time. 

The only reason she knew that was because she was just as guilty of doing the same thing...except her observations stung with the ugly bite of jealousy. 

She knew she was being ridiculous. If anything, he had more cause to be jealous of her, as she smoothly charmed her way through powerful man after influential man while biting down the disgust she felt at their smug superiority in the broken system they’d built. But she couldn’t boast having any sort of meaningful relationship with any of them. Once the night was over, she was unlikely to come across any of them before the following year’s gala. 

Kogami, on the other hand, spent most of his night with his Foreign Affairs team. The three former latent criminals weren’t exactly receiving much warmth from the rest of the elite crowd, who couldn’t take any sort of comfort in their mysterious coefficients. So they stuck together, birds of a feather, looking far more comfortable in each other’s familiar company than Akane felt the whole night. 

_But why does_ she _have to stick around them so much?_ she thought bitterly, as her eyes once again fell on Frederica Hanashiro murmuring something to Kogami with a lazy smile on her pretty lips. She was by far the most beautiful woman in the room, her impossibly perfect curves looking stunning in her long, green sheath of a dress. She looked mature, sensual, and confident, and Akane couldn’t help feeling weirdly childish in comparison, in her strapless dress with a knee-length, flared out skirt. Frederica looked...good next to Kogami. Her modelesque height complimented Kogami’s well, especially in his well-fitted tuxedo (that was unbuttoned, because of course it was). 

And they looked perfectly at ease with each other - Akane felt her heart sink when she saw him flash that smirk again. She was being silly, she could tell even from her distance that it wasn’t the special smile he seemed to save for her...but her social exhaustion seemed to only encourage her irrationality. 

At last an hour arrived that she could pass as a reasonable time to leave. She didn’t need to say anything to Kogami - as soon as she started making her way to the exit, he began his journey back to her, returning to her side just as she pushed through the door. “I was waiting all night for you to be ready to leave,” he murmured for her ears only. She couldn’t help smiling, but it felt half-hearted. It must’ve looked it too, judging by Kogami’s concerned “Hey, you alright?” 

“Yeah, it’s nothing.” He didn’t believe her, she knew he didn’t believe her, but he didn’t say anything until they were back in the safety of her apartment. 

“Akane, what’s wrong?” 

“I told you, it’s nothing-“ 

“You don’t have to lie-” 

“I’m not lying to you, it’s honestly stupid-“ 

“You wouldn’t be looking like that if it were so stupid.” 

“Like what?” 

“Like someone who lost their pet or something.” 

“Oh, sure,” Akane scoffed, her exhaustion and frustration overpowering any sense of reason she had left. “Sure, like a sad little girl who lost her puppy, is that it?” 

“...What? What the hell are you talking about?” 

She glared at him in disbelief, but when he made no move to answer himself, she bit out, “I know...I know I’ll never look as mature and sexy as Hanashiro -“

“What does she have to do-“ 

“- but just because I look so childish doesn’t mean I can’t try to live up to her standard!” 

Her words rang into silence, as Kogami stared at her in stunned confusion. “Akane, are you... _jealous_ of Hanashiro?” 

“Why shouldn’t I be? You barely left her side all night!” 

“Yeah, along with Gino and Sugo! Or did your tunnel vision just cut them out?” She could hear his growing frustration in his strained voice, and he began taking slow steps towards her, almost like each step was a punctuation to his sentences. “Do you have any idea how...how pathetic I felt, sticking with my coworkers while I watched you smooth talk every other man in the room?” 

“ _‘Smooth talk’?_ When have I ever smooth talked anyone?” 

“God, Akane, you don’t even know.” Her blood ran both hot and cold at the way his gaze raked over her. “You don’t even know what those men saw, do you? You have no clue that they saw a sexy, confident, smart woman giving them a run for their money on their own jobs, all while looking like a vision in red.” 

“Don’t insult me, I’m a professional-“ 

“Or maybe that’s just what I saw. Maybe it was just the stupid masculine part of me that wanted to snatch you up and whisk you away, all for myself. Like some sort of Hades taking his Persephone.” He stood in front of her now, and took the final step to press flush against her. “The only reason I stayed with Hanashiro and the others was because I didn’t want to ruin things for you...both with my status and with how I might have behaved.” 

They were so close, their noses brushed as she gazed up at him and he looked down at her. All of her arguments against him evaporated in the heat of his gaze, and a flush washed over her at the realization that it was that same heat she’d been feeling from him all night. Her skin prickled, ached to be pressed against his, and the pain of the table digging into her spine somehow added to her need. She didn’t feel any fear - she knew he would never do anything to hurt her, no matter how angry he was. But she did feel a fire burning through her veins, stoked her own anger and desire. 

“Show me.” 

“Show you what?” He already knew, but his eyes challenged her to finish her command. 

“Show me how you would’ve behaved.”

His growl barely reached her ears before he was kissing her as if he wanted to pull the essence of her soul through her lips. She moaned wantonly into him, pressing onto her toes and wrapping her arms around his neck just to press as close as possible. His arms wrapped around her waist and pulled her flush against him, giving him access to the fastenings of her dress while making it harder for her to shove his tuxedo jacket off his shoulders. She managed to succeed though, just as he brought her zipper down and tugged her dress to the ground. The silky red material fell to her feet with a soft rustle, leaving her in her nude heels and lacy thong. 

Embarrassment flashed through her when her lack of a bra was revealed - she usually didn’t need one in more formal outfits, the built-in bra in most dresses proving perfectly sufficient for her smaller bust. But her self-consciousness was washed away in another wave of hot desire at Kogami’s groan of realization when his hands cupped her naked breasts. “Fuck, you’re a dream.” She could only whine in response, fingers stuttering from eagerness on the buttons of his crisp white shirt. He made no move to help her, and instead boosted her onto the table, lips latching onto a nipple with a suck that had her whining. “Shinya...Shinya, please-“

She finally got his shirt open and tugged it from his pants, letting the loose edges flutter against her as she greedily slid her hands across the muscular planes of his chest. But before she could press her bare skin against his, he suddenly pressed her back until she was flat against the table, grabbing her hands to pin them above her head, his larger hand encircling both of her wrists easily. His other hand pinched at her nipple while he kissed and sucked his way back to her ear, where he growled, “Tell me what you want.” He scraped his teeth just under her ear, making her moan and arch into him. 

“I want...I want you…” 

“What do you want from me?” His free hand traveled down her body, stopping just short of her drenched flesh to press flat against her stomach. The anticipation of his touch had her whining again, her hands grasping at air when she wanted to be raking through his wild strands. 

“Touch me, please, I need to feel you- _ah!_ ” Her gasped pleas were cut off by his fingers finally tugging her thong down and dipping into her arousal to trace smooth circles on her clitoris. But he still stubbornly kept the rest of his body above hers, only letting his unbuttoned shirt brush her flushed skin, even as she arched into his touches below. Her pussy throbbed, and she almost sobbed from how empty she felt. “ _Fuck,_ Shinya, _please,_ I need you- _ngh,_ I need you in me- _mmph!_ ” 

She was cut off by his lips suddenly covering hers, and she instinctively craned her neck to deepen the kiss as much as she could. Kogami’s hands moved to yank his belt and zipper open, which Akane could barely hear over their moans. Her breath caught in her throat in anticipation when she felt his tip brush her opening, and the same breath ripped out of her in a cry when he was suddenly, ruthlessly buried in her. Everything burned, but she still arched into him, still wrapped her legs around his hips to pull him closer, still urged him on with a nip to his lips. She could feel his hands at her breasts, her nipples, her waist, before finally curving around her hips, pressing her to the table as he straightened over her. A ragged _“yes!”_ ripped out of her as his pace somehow quickened, his hips pressing deeper and faster with thrust. And all she could do was wail and moan and cry out, her hands gripping at the edge of the table above her head. The only coherent word she could manage was “please... _please!_ ”

“What do you want?”

“You, just- just want you.” 

“You’ve got me.” Finally, _finally,_ he let himself bend over her and press his body to hers, capturing her lips in a kiss that had her whining her orgasm into him as her back bent off of the table. He followed close behind her, his head falling just above her shoulder as his release shuddered through him, ending in a shaky groan. 

Neither of them could speak for a moment, their gasps for air the only sounds filling the room. The table was slick against Akane’s sweaty back, and she could feel Kogami’s breath beading into droplets of water near her shoulder. Eventually his head lifted enough for him to meet her eyes, and she flashed him a tired smile. “Well...that was…”

“Mm...are you ok? Did I hurt you?” 

“No, I would’ve told you if you were.” She finally let go of the edge of the table above her head, and draped her arms around Kogami’s shoulders, craning up to press a light kiss to his lips. “How are you? Feeling any better?” 

“Best I’ve felt all night.” 

“Me too.” She fell quiet for a moment, staring into those steely eyes and brushing his hair out of his face. “Shinya...you didn’t really think I was interested in any of those men, did you?” 

“No, but...I was more worried about how interested they seemed to be in you. You were the smartest person in that room. If they weren’t threatened by that, then they were drawn in by that.” His hand ran down her body to rest at her waist as a small smirk tilted his lips. “You tend to have that effect on people.” 

“Well, you’re one to talk,” she murmured with a soft laugh, her body curving into his touch. “I learned it all from you.” 

“No...no, you had it in you all along.” He leaned down to kiss her gently, before venturing to ask, “Are you still jealous over Hanashiro?” 

Her smile faded into her teeth worrying her bottom lip as she traced her fingers along his collarbone. “It’s hard not to be. She’s stunning...and you get to work with her everyday in a way that we used to. And even though I know I should be grateful to her for bringing you back to Japan...sometimes I just feel guilty about the fact that _I_ couldn’t be the one to bring you back.” Her smile returned, but it had a rueful note to it. “I know it’s silly, and usually I don’t let myself dwell on it, but tonight...the stress of everything finally got to me, I guess. I’m sorry.” 

“You don’t need to apologize,” he softly insisted. “I respect her a lot, and she helped me come home. But I came home to _you._ I love _you._ ” 

“I know. I love you, too, so much.” Her hand wandered up from his collarbone to cup his cheek, and her rueful smile suddenly turned playful. “You know what else I would love?”

“Hm?”

“To continue this conversation in bed instead of on this table.” 

A surprised laugh left Kogami at that, and that glint of amusement finally returned to his eye. “Is that so?” 

“Mm-hm…and it’d be even better if you were naked.” 

“The shirt’s not doing it for you?” 

“I like what’s under it better.” 

His smirk sent a familiar rush of heat through her. “Roger that, Inspector.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What is UP this is EMBARRASSING hope you ENJOY
> 
> no but seriously, I am so sorry for how late this is. I've been puzzling over this prompt and the rest of the ShinKane Week prompts for the past two months. Between that and my internship abruptly ending due to the current pandemic and my resulting trip to rock bottom, I haven't had it in me to review anything I've created without suffocating disgust. It just...do be that way with my depression sometimes. On the bright side, hopefully I'll be able to actually finish the rest of the prompts within the week...emphasis on "hopefully." 
> 
> Also I'm sorry for how cringey and OOC this one is. I haven't watched anything from the canon since season three ended, and it was already hard for me to try and do these characters and their dynamic justice when the tone of the show was fresh in my mind. 
> 
> Alright, that's enough from me. Thank you for reading! 
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own Psycho-Pass, including any of its characters or world-building. Please do not copy and paste any of this work on other websites, nor plagiarize any part of it. Thank you.


	5. Day 5: Confession

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Early morning Tolstoy has Kogami opening up about an unexpected dream of his.

Weekends were the best. 

Or at least, the weekends that they actually had off were the best. They were the only days that Akane could wake up because of the sun streaming into the room or Kogami pressing a kiss on her skin, and not because of her comm blaring a message from the PSB. She could take her time rolling out of bed and padding into the kitchen to make breakfast, take her time getting her training setup ready for her workout, take her time in the shower and getting dressed. 

That morning, she woke up to the sun warming her skin and the smell of fresh coffee, which explained why she was alone in the bed. Kogami had never been able to really sleep in, his years on the run having drilled an early internal alarm clock that he couldn’t seem to reset. Surprisingly, he hadn’t passed the time trying to wake her up as well, and Akane briefly entertained the thought of thanking him by inviting him into the shower with her. But the heaviness of her eyelids demanded that she have some coffee first. 

The air of the apartment was cool against her skin compared to the warmth of the covers, making her shiver as she shuffled into the kitchen, where she found Kogami sitting shirtless at the table, sipping at his coffee while he read a thick, worn-down book. She didn’t say anything, letting her shuffling steps announce her entrance until she could wrap her arms around his shoulders. He jumped slightly, but she knew it was more because of her cold fingertips and not any real surprise. She pressed her lips to his shoulder with a mumbled “g’morning.” 

“Hey,” he laughed softly, setting his mug down to trace his fingers along her arm. “How are you already so cold?” 

“How are you still so warm?” 

“The coffee probably helps…”

She ignored his gentle suggestion in favor of holding him tighter. “I think I’ll just use you to warm up.” 

He was warm and strong and exactly what she needed, and she felt her eyelids beginning to droop...until her arm was suddenly being pinched. “Hey hey hey, don’t fall asleep on me.” 

Akane whined, but reluctantly forced her eyes open, and they landed on the book that was still open on the table. “What’re you reading?” 

“ _War and Peace_.”

“Again? Isn’t once enough?” 

“Hey, I’m not rereading the whole thing,” he chuckled. “Just my favorite section. I was on the last page when you came out here.” 

“If you’re almost done, then...could you read it to me?” 

“How about I read it to you while you get your coffee?” Akane pulled away and was met by a teasing grin on Kogami’s face. She couldn’t keep her own grin off her face in response, even as she stuck her tongue out and sulked to the coffee pot. As soon as the sound of coffee being poured filled the kitchen and dining room, she heard his usually-rough voice begin reading Tolstoy’s poetic prose. 

There was a soft reverence to Kogami’s voice whenever he read out loud, on the rare occasions that he indulged her requests. It spoke of his love and admiration for classic literature, for something that he could really respect without any qualms...a rarity for him in the world they lived in. He didn’t try to perform the story, didn’t give different voices to the characters. He always let the story and characters speak for themselves. A small smile danced on Akane’s face as she sat down next to him at the table, coffee in hand, just in time to hear: 

_“Don’t speak to me like that. I am not worthy of it!” cried Natasha, and she would have left the room, but Pierre held her hand._

_He knew he had something more to say to her. But when he had spoken he was amazed at his own words._

_“Hush, hush! You have your whole life before you,” he said to her._

_“I? No! For me all is over,” she replied in shame and self-abasement._

_“All over?” he repeated. “If I were not myself, but were the handsomest, cleverest, best man in the world, and were free, I would be on my knees this minute asking for your hand and for your love.”_

Akane was watching Kogami as he read, so when he paused after that line, she caught the sad smile that flashed across his lips. “Shinya...are you okay?” 

“Yeah, it’s nothing.” 

“It wasn’t nothing.” 

He sighed as his gaze finally met hers. “It’s just...I remember reading that for the first time, and wondering if I would ever feel that way about someone. It always seemed impossible.” 

“...And now?” 

“Now...it feels like Tolstoy knew how to articulate my feelings centuries before I was even born.” His eyes stayed fixed on hers, and she couldn’t look away, even when she felt his hand gently rest on hers. Her breath caught in her throat as she finally understood what he was saying. “Shinya, are...are you saying you want to marry me?” 

“I’m saying that if I could promise you a good life, a comfortable life...I would’ve married you years ago.” 

She set her mug aside in favor of grabbing his hand, bringing it to her lips as she murmured her next words. “Then marry me.”

“...What?” 

“Marry me.” The words were clearer when they weren’t murmured against his skin, but they didn’t stun him any less the second time. “If you would’ve done it years ago, then we already have some lost time to make up.” 

“Akane, we can’t. I’m only safe here as long as Hanashiro has Sibyl convinced not to kill me. I don’t know if I’ll be back to being a fugitive on the run next month, next week, tomorrow...You don’t deserve to be pulled into that.” 

“I’ll be pulled in no matter what, Sibyl will make sure of that. I don’t need you to take care of me. I just want you to love me, and share your life with me, and let me do the same for you.” She leaned across the corner of the table that separated them, and cradled his cheek in her hand. “Let me have you, Shinya. Maybe we won’t get forever, but at least we can have each day.” 

His voice was soft when he spoke, as if he were scared to betray his hope to her. “Akane...are you sure?” 

“I’ve never been so sure of anything.” 

“...Come here.” He tugged at her hand, steering her to stand between his legs as he turned away from the table. “We wouldn’t be able to have the wedding you deserve. We probably won’t even be able to make it legally binding.” 

“I don’t care.” 

“We might not have any of the privileges of a married couple...and we would still have to be careful with our relationship in public.” 

“We already have to do that. I’d rather have to deal with all that as your wife.” 

“But you don’t deserve that. You...you deserve better than that.” 

“What I deserve is to marry the man I love, and that will always be you. It’s always been you.” Her hands curved around his jaw, tilting his face up for a gentle kiss. She pulled away just enough to rest her forehead against his, and he could see the wide grin that stretched her lips. “Shinya Kogami, you’re already the handsomest, cleverest, best man in the world, and marrying you would make me the happiest woman in the world. Nothing will change that, okay?” 

Finally, the apprehension left his eyes, and was replaced by a hesitant hope and joy that melted her heart. “...Okay.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm reading War and Peace at the moment (almost done after more than two years of reading it on and off lmfao), but I first heard those lines in the musical Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812, which is based off of Kogami's "favorite part" of War and Peace, hehe~ Please give the soundtrack a listen if you haven't already, it singlehandedly made me start reading that monstrosity of a book, and it's one of my absolute favorite musicals! 
> 
> I also got inspired by this really lovely post by cloudedhues on Tumblr: https://cloudedhues.tumblr.com/post/611344859246264320/love-the-idea-of-a-young-kougami-as-a-hopeless
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own Psycho-Pass, including any of its characters or world-building. Please do not copy and paste any of this work on other websites, nor plagiarize any part of it. Thank you.


	6. Day 6: Phone Calls or Letters

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ahead of a particularly long SAD mission, Akane attempts to make a positive out of a past negative.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I did both prompts! Because if I'm not going to be timely, I might as well be extra.

If Akane could have told her 20-year-old self, fresh from the pain of losing Masaoka and Kagari and Kogami, that she would one day be helping the latter pack in a perfect picture of domesticity...well, she wouldn’t have believed it. If she _had_ believed it, she would have been delirious from happiness. 

But as she sat on their bed, folding the clothes he passed her from the closet, she couldn’t feel that joy. Yes, Kogami was back in Japan, finally somewhat free from answering to Sibyl...but that freedom was conditional on him leaving on what felt like a constant basis. Akane knew she should feel grateful to Hanashiro for making it at all possible for her to share any part of her life with Kogami, and vice versa, but the fear of losing him anew was never fully gone, always emerging from the back of her mind every time he had to leave. 

She didn’t realize she was frowning at the stack of freshly-folded shirts until she felt lips gently kissing away the furrow between her brows. “Hey…I’ll be back before you know it. This mission shouldn’t take too long...we might even get back early.” 

“That doesn’t mean it’ll be any less dangerous,” she sighed, resting her forehead against his chest. “And I hate not knowing when I’ll hear from you again.” 

“I know...but I’ll call as soon as I’m able to. And I still think your work is just as dangerous.” 

“It’s a lot less dangerous without a subordinate tempting death in every case.” Akane’s teasing grin was returned with a wry smirk and a gentle pinch on the nose. 

“Sounds like he’s found something worth living for.” 

“Oh, some _thing,_ huh?” Kogami’s only response was to kiss her with a gentle nip on the lips, her giggles smothered against him. 

It wasn’t until a few hours later that she remembered a way to work around the uncertainty of him being able to call her: letters. A simple, pen to paper letter. The only letter that had passed between them was the one he’d left on her desk before leaving the PSB for the last time all those years ago. Even now, her heart felt a pang when she read those old words of regret and betrayal. There was something appealing about the idea of turning letters into a positive way to keep in touch for them, and she could already hear him teasing her for being so idyllic. But no matter. She could always remind him that _he’d_ written the first letter, not her. 

Finding a pen and piece of paper was surprisingly easy - with his old-fashioned tastes, it made sense that Kogami would have a small stash of stationary tucked away. The hard part was actually writing the letter. She decided to write it while Kogami was away for a last-minute, pre-departure meeting, thinking it wouldn’t take too long. 

She was sorely mistaken. Writing a letter was nothing like writing the dry, objective case reports that she was used to, and she had to force herself to press through her embarrassment at the lack of...beauty in her sentiments. And she didn’t expect her hand to cramp so easily, her muscles seizing up in a way she hadn’t felt in years. When the letter was done, her normally untidy writing had turned downright messy, but she still felt a little proud at her small accomplishment. 

_Shinya,_

_I’m sorry, I stole this paper and pen while you were at the last pre-departure meeting...I hope this letter is worth my dipping into your limited supply of stationary._

_Tomorrow you leave for yet another mission in yet another mysterious location. I should be used to this, I should be used to saying goodbye, but it still hurts to see you go. When you’re gone, there’s a space at home where you belong...the bed is lonely, the meals are quiet, I don’t look forward to coming home at the end of the day. But the strange thing is...a part of me loves that space, because it means that you’ll be back. You’re never really gone. And I feel so unbelievably lucky to be able to share a life with you._

_Please be careful out there. I hope the last year has shown you how much your life means to so many people. Actually keep your promise to me to keep working as a detective and helping people. Be proud of your work, but don’t throw yourself away for it._

_I love you so much it hurts, and I’ll be counting down the days until you’re back. Send my regards to Hanashiro and Sugo, and tell Ginoza I’ll never forgive him if he lets anything happen to either of you._

_Love you with all my heart,_

_Akane_

_PS: it didn’t feel fair that I got to be surrounded with reminders of you while you had nothing, so I slipped you my scarf and necklace. I’ll look forward to getting them back, because that means you’ll be back._

She tucked the letter, scarf, and necklace beneath his pajamas in his duffel bag, just to make sure he would find them before he came back home. She tried not to imagine his reaction to reading the letter - he would either be touched or bemused - and ducked back to the living room. 

The next morning felt like it came too quickly. He was being picked up by the team, and she wouldn’t be able to see him off - while his teammates knew about their relationship, the couple had agreed on being as discreet about it in public as possible. The little time they had together before his departure passed in a flash, and suddenly they were murmuring their goodbyes in between kisses. 

“Call me when you can.” 

“I will.” 

“Please be safe.” 

“I’ll try to be.” 

“I love you.” 

“I love you, too.” He pressed a last kiss to her cheek, and then he was gone. 

It was just a month. A month was nothing compared to the time they’d been apart before. That’s what she kept telling herself as she returned to their apartment, but she was still lost in thought, hanging up her coat and purse on auto-pilot. So when something crinkled in her purse, she almost didn’t notice it. But she did, and was finally pulled out of her stupor to find a wrinkled envelope tucked inside. There wasn’t a name on it, nothing to hint at who it could be addressed to, except for the fact that she’d found it in _her_ purse. Before she could dwell much more on the wisdom of opening a mystery envelope, her fingers had already opened it, and the letter she found inside made a lump rise in her throat. 

_Akane,_

_I was thinking about the words “parting is such sweet sorrow.” No disrespect meant to the bard, but those words always feel like bullshit when it’s time for me to leave. There’s nothing sweet about leaving you, except for the moment I come back and get to hold you again._

_The secrecy of our missions kills me, especially when all I want is to share the case with you and let your brilliant mind help us. If it weren’t for the fact that Sibyl would have me dead, I would think it’s somehow figured out a way to haunt us, to try and keep me from you, even if it’s only temporary. Because it is temporary, I promise you that. I will always find a way back to your side._

_I wanted to write this letter because it feels safer, somehow, to tell you this in writing than verbally: loving you is the easiest and scariest thing I’ve ever done. I’m so scared that by loving you, I’m dooming myself to lose you, just like I’ve lost everyone else I’ve ever loved. But that makes me more determined to make sure that never happens. You’re always telling me to be careful, but I need you to do the same. I refuse to put you through the pain of grief, but I don’t think I could survive mourning you._

_I love you, Akane. Know that not a day will go by where I’m not missing you. The warmth of the sun will remind me of your arms. Looking at the glittering stars will be like looking into your eyes. The coarse blankets will make me long for the softness of your skin. The sweetest honey will taste dull compared to your lips. When I leave, I’ll be leaving my heart with you. Guard it well._

_Love,_

_Shinya_

She could barely make out the last lines through the tears blurring her vision. For all the conversations they had shared, all the references he made to literature she had never read, all of their lofty arguments over ideological differences...she was still unused to seeing his eloquence being used for romance. Of course the sentiment was always in him, peeking through in his lingering kisses, the patterns his fingers drew on her skin, the times she’d caught him quietly watching her with a small smile. But seeing it laid bare still left her breathless, just like so much about him, even after knowing him for so long. 

It was all she could do to not ignore her work in favor of reading and re-reading the letter whilst curled up in bed. Instead it remained folded on her bedside table and she remained at her desk, in a feeble attempt to keep it out of sight and out of mind. Somehow she managed to get her work done - she always did - but she wasn’t sure if the burning in her eyes was from her hours squinting at a screen, or from holding back the tears that rose every time a line from the letter floated unbidden to the front of her mind. 

By the time night fell, she had reread the letter three times, and her dinner was accented by her frequent glances at her comm, waiting for the promised call from him once they’d arrived. When it came, she found herself answering halfway through the first ring. “Shinya?” 

“Wow, you answered quickly.” 

“I have to, when you’re taking forever to call,” she retorted with a smile. “How was the flight?” 

“Surprisingly short. The flight was just to get us to the mainland - we ended up driving most of the way here.” 

“Really?” 

“Mm...and that’s all I can say about that before Hanashiro makes me hang up.” 

“Discretion is key, Kogami-san,” she giggled as she climbed into bed, holding her comm close. 

“Don’t I know it.” She could hear his smile in his sigh, and it only made her own smile grow wider. “Anyway...the infrastructure isn’t very stable here. This is probably the best it’ll be for us, so I’m not sure when I’ll be able to call again.” 

“So no news will have to be good news?” 

“Unfortunately.” 

It wasn’t uncommon, but Akane still dreaded hearing it. “Well...at least I’ll have your letter to help me bide the time.” 

“And I’ll have yours.” 

Akane flushed at the sound of rustling paper on the other side of the line, knowing there was only one thing it could be. “You...you found it, then?” 

“Found it, read it, re-read it, put your necklace on next to my dogtags-” 

“Ahhhh, stop! Are you trying to thank me or embarrass me?” 

Kogami’s laugh was warm, even through the rough quality of the call. “Don’t be embarrassed. It was the best surprise I’ve gotten in a while...definitely worth the stolen paper.” 

“I didn’t steal the paper, I...borrowed it. I gave it right back to you!”

“You said it in the letter yourself, you stole the paper.” 

“Oh...did I?” She held back a laugh at his exaggerated sigh. “Hey...thank you for your letter. I loved it.” 

“Really?” 

“Of course! It was beautiful...I even cried when I read it.” 

“I just wanted-” He was cut off suddenly by a distant call of his name that Akane could barely hear over the staticky call. “Ah, shit. I have to go.” 

“Wait-” 

“Take care of yourself, Akane.” 

“Shinya-” 

“I’ll try to call from the next city, but I’m not sure when-” 

“Shinya, listen!” That finally got him to quiet down. “Just...whatever happens, whatever you all end up having to do...don’t lay down your life for this mission.” 

“...I won’t. I’ll be back before you know it. I won’t leave you alone that easily.” 

“You better not. ...I love you.” 

“I love you, too.” As the line went silent, Akane was suddenly aware of herself again, and realized that she was pressing the letter to her chest. There was something eerily familiar about a letter accompanying another absence. But the circumstances couldn’t be more different. He would be back, to her and the home that they’d somehow gotten to build together... _their_ home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Psycho-Pass, including any of its characters or world-building. Please do not copy and paste any of this work on other websites, nor plagiarize any part of it. Thank you.


	7. Day 7: Fate or Freedom (free day)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kogami pays a visit to an imprisoned Akane. (Takes place during season 3, and is mostly canon-compliant.)

“I met that Arata kid.” 

“‘Kid’?” Akane’s tone was wry, and he knew she was smirking. “Careful, Kogami-san, he’s just a bit older than I was when we met.” 

“And now I’m 36,” Kogami scoffed with his own grin. “A 22-year-old feels like a kid to me now.” 

“Well, kid or not...he’s strong, and he’s smart.” He could hear the pride and fondness in her voice, as though she were talking about a little brother. “I trust him to know what he needs to do.” 

“...He reminds me of you.” He finally turned to face the small window in the door, and he could see her doing the same, confusion clear in her eyes. “He’s eager to prove himself and administer justice, but he doesn’t barrel into violence needlessly. And his Enforcers like him. They were more than happy to fight me, but only after making sure he wouldn’t get tangled up in it. ...His eyes look like yours, too.” 

“Is that so?” 

“Mm...all wide-eyed and idyllic...and strong.” 

Akane’s eyes softened, and she wilted just the slightest bit. “...I miss you.” 

“I miss you, too. I still feel angry that you’re in here...that you put yourself in here.” 

“You know why I had to.” 

“And I’m angry about that too.” Despite his words, his eyes were filled with love and longing, and his fingers were gentle as they pressed against the small sliver of glass between them. “Home feels empty without you.” 

“I know…but I’ll be back. That’s more comfort than I had for all those years.” She only felt the barest trace of guilt at his grimace in response to her guilt-tripping. Her fingers matched the outline of his, the glass cold under her fingertips. Her eyes suddenly pricked with tears from her yearning to feel the warmth of his skin against hers again, and when she spoke again, her voice was soft to hide how choked up she suddenly was. “Shinya...be careful.”

“I will,” he murmured. “This case will be keeping us in Japan. I’ll see you again soon, I promise.” 

“You promise?” Those grey eyes met hers, and she didn’t bother hiding her sad smile. Eight years still hadn’t completely wiped away the pain of his broken promise. 

“...I swear.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wrote this drabble when the third season ended last fall, but I couldn't figure out what to do with it. I figure this is as good a place to publish it as any. 
> 
> Anyway! I'm finally done with both ShinKane challenges that I've dragged on for way too long! I honestly don't know what I'll be publishing after this. I'll definitely continue to write and publish, including some stuff from my backlog, but I can't say for sure what that'll be. At the moment I've just been jotting down some ideas for a PP/ATLA au, and some ideas for Persona 5 drabbles and one-shots, so...we'll just have to see. 
> 
> Thank you so much for sticking with me through this overlong process! I hope I can look forward to your support on my future works! 
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own Psycho-Pass, including any of its characters or world-building. Please do not copy and paste any of this work on other websites, nor plagiarize any part of it. Thank you.


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